Tioman · Malaysia · Pinnacle · Wall
Batu Mumbang
Twin rock islets over boulder coral, overhangs and small walls
Area photo: TMbux · CC BY-SA 3.0
Two rocky islands break the surface off the north-east point of Juara Bay, three minutes out by boat, and their sides descend to the sandy bottom of the bay at 18 metres. Underwater the site is large boulder corals, rocky coral scape, overhangs and small walls, with a mild current turning up on some days.
Where it is and how deep
2.7941° N, 104.2120° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Three minutes off the north-east point of Juara Bay, two rocky islands break the surface, and the dive is a circuit of what they do underwater: their sides descend to the sandy bottom of the bay at eighteen metres, and the rock between the surface and the sand is large boulder corals, rocky coral scape, overhangs and small walls.
Because the deepest point is eighteen metres, the usual plan is to drop to the sand at the base, work round the rock in one direction with the walls on your shoulder, then spiral up on to the shallower boulders for the end of the dive. A mild current turns up on some days and is worth checking from the surface, since it decides which side of the islands you start on.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Tioman: Northeast monsoon brings rough seas and closed resorts November-January; calmest conditions and best visibility run May-September.
Sources
- Batu Mumbang - Scubago — Scubago
More dive sites in Tioman
Reef
Sloping reef and island-side pinnacles, dived off a mooring
Reef
Gentle coral slope to an 18-metre sand bottom, no current
Reef
Sand shallows, coral garden and a sheer wall to 18 metres
Reef
Coral slope from 2 to 18 m with wide monoculture coral stands
Pinnacle
Coral-covered pinnacle with walls falling to 40 metres
Reef
Walk-in shore dive over a sandy bay and shallow fringing reef
Reef
Sheltered cove reef with a freshwater boulder area
Reef
Towering rock formations and walls to 30 metres, often drifted
Similar dives elsewhere
Granite arches at the exposed north end of the chain
Large schools of barracuda on an exposed pinnacle in strong current
Submerged pinnacle from 14 m down a wall to 32 m of sand
Purple soft-coral wall dropping past recreational limits